9

IT.—lk.

Tables C, D, and E show respectively the cost of each of the main articles of expenditure, the number of new articles of clothing made by the girls, and the position and salaries of the staff, for the year 1879. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education, John Hislop, Wellington. Secretary to Education Department.

2. Mb. Taylor's Report. Sir, — Education Office, Dunedin, 18th December, 1879. I have the honor to report that at your request I examined the Industrial School at Cavershain on the 11th instant. The school is attended by 132 boys and 95 girls, or a total of 227 pupils, of from about three to fourteen years of age. The school-building consists of two rooms of fair size and moderately equipped. The higher classes are under the charge of Mr. John Titchener, and the infant department is presided over by Miss Christie. The latter is very much overcrowded, there being scarcely breathing-room for the 170 children occupying it. Additional accommodation and an increase of teaching-power are both requisite for the satisfactory management of the school. I examined 58 pupils in Standards 1., 11., and 111. of the ordinary school syllabus of instruction, omitting grammar, geography, and history, as these subjects have not been taken up as parts of the instruction given in this institution. It has been considered sufficient hitherto to confine the attention of the children to reading, spelling, writing, and arithmetic, seeing that their time at school is likely to be limited and of uncertain duration, and that a considerable portion of it has to be devoted to industrial work. Notwithstanding that no systematic instruction is given in grammar and geography, the upper classes show a good acquaintance with the position of places mentioned in their reading-books, and can make sentences about familiar things with facility and considerable accuracy. Drill, class-movements, and the order altogether are most satisfactory. The pupils have been well trained to give strict attention to duty, to yield ready and willing obedience to orders, to practise quiet and respectful behaviour, and to exercise habits of self-control, which, considering their position and circumstances, are essential parts of their true upbringing. The instruction, though, of course, elementary, is thorough as far as it goes. The children are intelligent, and give ready answers to questions. The reading is distinct, fluent, and unusually expressive. The spelling, tested by ten words written on slates in Standards I. and 11., and by dictation exercise in Standard 111., was almost without mistake. The writing on copy-books is clean and well formed, showing careful supervision. Three only out of 58 pupils failed in arithmetic. The work of the infant room is very satisfactory and well advanced for the age of the pupils. I may here mention that valuable assistance is rendered to the teachers by some of the bigger pupils, who do good service as monitors. The singing in the infant room, consisting of imitation songs, was given in good time and tune, and with appropriate motions. The singing in the higher room consisted of solos and part-songs, which were rendered with much taste and sweetness, accompanied by the harmonium, played by Mr. Titchener and his son. A fife and drum band of about twenty small performers played some selections with accuracy and much vigour. The school in both departments is very efficiently" conducted and doing excellent work. I have only to suggest in the meantime the introduction of object and natural-history lessons, as well calculated to educate the pupils and to increase their stores of information. Were .1 required to report on the institution as a whole I could only do so in terms of highest praise, and state that in my opinion it realizes to the fullest extent the purposes for which it was established. Under its present excellent management it is the means of conferring upon the unfortunate inmates, and even upon society at large, benefits beyond estimate. I have, &c, William Taylor, The Secretary, Otago Education Board. Sub-Inspector of Schools. Note.—Since the date of Mr. Taylor's visit a large addition has been made to the schoolmistress's class-room, and directions have been given for" the carrying-out of the suggestions as to the introduction of natural-history and object lessons.—J. 11.

3. Dr. Buens'b Refoet. Sib, — Otago Industrial School, Ist July, 1880. I have the honor to report that the average number of inmates for the year 1879 was 230, exclusive of staff. The state of health has been very satisfactory, and there has been no case of epidemic disease. The deaths were four in number —1. Robert John Smith, aged 9 months, died 3rd January, admitted 20th December, 1878 ; 2. Eliza Ann Reid, aged 15 months, died 30th January, admitted November, 1878; 3. Sarah Butler, aged 2J years, died (Jth September, admitted April, 1879; 4. Francis L. Symes, aged 9 years, died 29th September, admitted November, 1877. This gives a deathrate of a little over 16 per 1,000. The death-rate for the City of Dunedin for the same year was within a fraction of 17 per 1,000; and, taking into consideration that this comprises all ages and all classes, and that the death-rate is always considerably greater among children than among adults (while our inmates are nearly all on admittance suffering from neglect and deprivation, and frequently from constitutional diseases), I may fairly claim our death-rate to be extremely low, and a conclusive proof of the great attention to the welfare of the children on the part of the master and matron. I have, &c, Robert Btnura, F.R.C.S.E., Medical Officer. 2—H. Ik.